Respiration appliance



March 31, 1970 J. A. COOK 3,503,388

RESPIRATION APPLIANCE Filed April 17, 1967 I ma 6 ATTORNEY$ UnitedStates Patent 3,503,388 RESPIRATION APPLIANCE Jesse A. Cook,Mooresville, NC, assignor of one-half to Leo B. Skeen, Mooresville, N.C.Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,309 Int. Cl. A61h 31/00 US. Cl. 128286 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A patient actuated manually operableappliance including an elongate band encircling the rib cageof a patientand adapted for construction thereabout, to partially collapse the lungsand thus expel air therefrom, and a lever arrangement operativelyconnected to the band for constricting the same upon manual actuationthereof by the patient.

In a normal respiration process, an increase in the capacity of thethoracic cavity upon contraction of the diaphragm and thoracic musclesresults in a negative pressure within the lungs and thus the inspirationof air thereinto. Upon relaxation of the contracted muscles and withsome cooperating contraction of abdominal and intercostal muscles, thevolume within the cavity is decreased, and expiration of air from thelungs occurs.

It has become increasingly apparent that this normal respiration processis seriously impaired by certain types of lung disease, such asemphysema and bronchial asthma, where there is an enlargement of theairspaces within the lungs and the lungs remain in a distended conditionfollowing the inspiration of air thereinto or control over expiration isotherwise lost. While the use of oxygen enrichment of the air involvedin the respiration process will provide more comfort for a patienthaving such a disease, by providing adequate oxygen to support life eventhough the tidal volume or air displaced during the respiration processhas been reduced, such therapy is both relatively expensive andconfining for the patient, particularly where very heavy reliance isplaced upon such use of oxygen.

While the difliculties caused by the reduced tidal volume of airinvolved in the respiration process of such a patient have beenrecognized herebefore, no solution has heretofore been readily availableto such a patient other than oxygen enrichment therapy. In particular,no means has been provided which is readily operable solely by thepatient, so as to free him from reliance upon other-s to provide thenecessary oxygen.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of this invention to providea patient actuated manually operable appliance for aiding therespiration process of a patient having a lung disease such asemphysema, which application frees such a patient from reliance solelyupon oxygen enrichment thereapy and thereby permits greater freedom. Inrealizing this object, an elongate band is provided for encircling therib cage of a patient and adapted for con striction thereabout by apatient actuated manually operable constricting means comprising a pairof lever members. By a particular cooperation of the lever members and afinger grip means, finger and palm grip portions are positioned forengagement by a single band of the patient, and a gripping motion madeby the patient will constrict the band about his rib cage to thus expelair from the lungs. By thereby permitting a patient to increase thetidal volume of air flowing into and out of his lungs during therespiration process, sufficient oxygen is obtained by the patientwithout the necessity of resorting to oxygen enrichment therapy.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated,others will appear as the description 3,503,388 Patented Mar. 31, 1970proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the appliance of this inventionas applied to and actuated by a patient;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating anelongate band and means for constricting the .band;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through a portion of the means forconstricting the band, taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, the appliance of thepresent invention is there shown and gen erally indicated at 10. In use,an elongate band portion 11 of the appliance 10 encircles the rib cageof a patient P and the appliance 10 is actuated by a manual operation ofthe patient for aiding the respiration process of the patient. Moreparticularly, this invention provides a means, generally indicated at12, for constricting the band 11 about the rib cage of the patient tothereby partially collapse the lungs and expel air therefrom, aiding therespiration process of a patient suffering from a lung disease asdescribed above by increasing the tidal volume involved in respiration.

The elongate band 11 preferably is formed from a length of substantiallyinelastic material, such as a layer 14 of leather strapping or belting,and has two free ends. An inelastic quality such as that typical ofleather belting is preferred, in order to assure proper constriction ofthe band 11 about the chest of a patient P when the two free ends of theband are drawn together. In order to contribute to patient comfort, aresilient padding layer 15 is provided on the inner surface of theleather layer 14, to be interposed between the leather belting and thebody of the patient during use of the appliance 10. Adjacent each of thefree ends of the band 11 are provided a plurality of connectors 16, forpurposes to be described more fully hereinafter.

In order to permit ready manual operation of the appliance 10 of thisinvention by a patient P suffering from a lung disease such asemphysema, the means 12 provided for constricting the band 11 about thechest of the patient is constructed to be actuable by a single hand ofthe patient. More particularly, the means 12 comprises a pair of levermembers 20, 21 pivotally connected together intermediate the extremitiesthereof as by a pivot pin 22. At one extremity of each of the levermembers 20, 21 is provided a transversely extending bar portion 24 and25, respectively. Each of these bar portions 24 and 25 is of properdimensions and configuration to be received within the connectors 16 atthe free ends of the leather layer, thereby providing a disconnectableoperative connection between the means 12 for constricting the band andthe free ends of the band 11. Adjacent the opposite extremity of one ofthe lever members, namely the lever member 20, is provided a palm gripportion 26, for engagement by the patients hand. While the palm gripportion 26 may take any suitable configuration adaptable to readyengagement with the palm portion of the patients hand, a simpletransverse bar is acceptable (FIGURE 2).

In order to facilitate actuation of the means for constricting the band11 by a single hand of the patient, finger grip means are provided atthe extremity of the other lever member 21 remote from the connectingbar 25, which means extends from the lever member 21 toward the palmgrip portion 26 so as to lie adjacent thereto and within a handspandistance thereof. In providing the finger grip means, a link member 28is pivotally connected to the other lever member 21, adjacent theextremity thereof,

as by the provision of a pivot pin 29, and includes a finger gripportion 30 for engagement by the fingers of the patients hand. While thefinger grip portion 30 may take 3 any suitable configuration adapted forgripping by the patients fingers, a simple transverse bar is acceptable.

In order to permit adaptation of the appliance of the present inventionto operation by either hand of the patient P, to various degrees ofconstriction, and to various extents of handspans, a number ofadjustments are provided. For example, a plurality of pivot locationopenings are provided intermediate the length of the lever members and21, to permit placement of the pivot pin 22 connecting the same in anyof several locations, thereby determining the relative movements ofopposite extremities of the lever members for constriction of the band11. Similarly, a. plurality of pivot location openings are formed in thelink member 28 and the cooperating extremity of the other lever member21, for placement of the pivot pin 29 in a desired location. By suchadjustments, the palm grip portion 26 and the finger grip portion 30 maybe placed appropriately to be spanned by a single hand of the patient P,and to provide that the extremities of the lever members 20, 21 aredrawn together sufliciently to constrict the band 11. Further, theinterconnection of the connectors 16 adjacent the free ends of the band11 and the engagement portions24, of the lever members 20 i and 21permit reversal of the constricting means 12, for actuation of theappliance by either the right hand (as shown in FIGURE 1) or the lefthand of the patient.

In order to avoid injury to the patient P otherwise possibly caused byabutting ends of the band 11, the lever members 20 and 21 include rollermeans 31 and 32 spaced from the engagement portions connectable with theband connectors 16. More particularly, curved bar portions 33 and 34extend from the upper and lower extremities of respective vertical barportions 24, 25 (FIGURE 2), and roller axles 37 and 38 extend betweenrespective pairs of curved bar members 33 and 34 at the terminalextremities thereof. Roller members 39 and 40 are mounted on respectiveaxles 37 and 38 for rotation thereabout and engage the leather member 14of the band 11 at a location spaced from the free ends thereof. Due tothe engagement of the roller members 39 and 40 with the band 11 and thebow or curvature of the bar members 3-3 and 34. the free ends of theband 11 are drawn outwardly and away from the body of the patient P uponconstriction thereabout, to thereby avoid unnecessary pinching orabrasion.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation.

Iclaim-z 1. A patient actuated manually operable appliance for aidingthe respiration process of a patient having lung disease such asemphysema comprising:

an elongate band for encircling the rib cage of a patient and having twofree ends, said band being adapted for constriction about the rib cageto partially collapse the lungs and expel air therefrom, and

means actuated by a single handed gripping motion of the patient forconstricting said band about the rib cage comprising a pair of levermembers pivotally connected together intermediate the extremitiesthereof and each having'one extremity operatively connected to anengaging said band adjacent one of said free ends for constricting saidband upon the extremities of said lever members being drawn together oneof said lever members including a transversely extending portiondefining a palm grip at the other extremity thereof for engagement bythe patients hand, and said constricting means further comprising a linkmember pivotally connected to the other of said lever members adjacentthe other extremity thereof and having a transversely extending portiondefining a finger grip disposed adjacent said palm grip portion andwithin a handspan thereof for engagement by the patients hand, wherebyreduction in thoracic cavity capacity on relaxation of the diaphragm andthoracic muscles is aided by the gripping motion of a single hand of thepatient and the patient achieves an increase in the tidal volume of airflowing into and out of his lungs during respiration. 2. Anappliance-according to claim 1 wherein said lever members areoperatively connected to said band by a disconnectable connection sothat said lever members maybe interchanged and said constricting meanspositioned for operation by either of the patients hands.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein said band is substantiallyinelastic and has a resilient padding layer on the inner face thereof.

4. An appliance according to claim 3 wherein said band is of leather andsaid padding layer is of foamed polymeric material.

5. An appliance according to claim 1 further comprising means includedin each of said lever members for providing a plurality of pivotalconnection locations therebetween so that the spacing of said members isadaptable to an individual patient.

6. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein each of said lever membersis operatively connected to said band by a disconnecta ble connectionand includes means projecting beyond said connection for engaging saidband at a location spaced from the corresponding free end thereof todraw said free end outwardly and away fromthe body of the patient uponconstriction thereabout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,204 12/ 1890 Davis 1282-8651,962 6/1900 Boghean 128-28 1,464,898 8/1923 Beard 128-32 2,071,215 2/1937 Petersen 12828 2,754,817 7/ 1956 Nemeth 12860 FOREIGN PATENTS597,212 5/1934 Germany. 624,118 1/ 1936 Germany.

1 1,693 1 898 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Barach, AJL., Pulmonary Emphysema Emphysema Belt andAllied Respiratory Aids (copy received in gr. 335 on May 13, 1966) p. 7relied on.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner KYLE L. HOWELL, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 1 28-6O; 2.72'80

